Have you ever heard of the common claim that The Name of Jesus is PAGAN? GRECO-ROMAN CATHOLIC? or even worse? The moment you begin hearing the same arguments and complaints by hebrew roots cults should raise a HISTORICAL red flag within you. One thing that you must learn to do is to trace common complaints back to their origins within history followed by scripture.
Below I have done for you exactly this. The next blog will compare these complaints to scripture and church history. But for now, let us begin below.
Claim: The English name Jesus is pagan.
Person: Angelo B. Traina
About 1933 to 1936, Angelo B. Traina, now deceased, pastured a church called the Gospel Kingdom Assembly in Irvington, New Jersey. It believed in baptizing in hyssop and rejected Pauline writings. One of his members, a Czech named August Sheffick, may have introduced Traina to the Sacred Name concept, as he claimed that he hated the word Christ, as it was a profane Greek name, meaning "smeared with excrement." Traina studied the subject further, especially nothing the word Jehovah in Psalms 83:18. "Dr." John Briggs, from Michigan, was living in New York City and considered himself a disciple of Traina, learning of the Sabbath, the "tribes" message and clean foods from Traina. Briggs came to Irvington on weekends and became convinced
of the Sacred Name through Sheffick.
Briggs prayed for a sick girl in "the Sacred Name of Yahshua" and she was healed; after that Briggs always used this name in prayer, although not all the church in Irvington believed it. Traina told Briggs to "soft peddle" the idea, so Briggs and Paul Penn, a Jewish member of the church, moved to Detroit, resuming a study at Briggs� house on February 13, 1937. They attended a Church of God (Seventh Day) assembly, at 1400 Orleans Street, "the first place evangelized" in the Sacred Name. When the elders of the church were away attending a convention in Flint, Briggs was asked to speak. His Sacred Names sermon in December, 1936, convinced William Bishop, after Briggs explained why Christ is reported to have said "Eli, Eli, Lama Sabacthani," Bishop was of the "fighting type," and this apparently caused a stir over the issue in the Church of God. He rented a church for three months so he and Briggs could preach the name doctrine. Bishop was the first to evangelize in the name of Yahshua. Briggs came to believe in triune immersion, first in the name of the Father,YAHVEH, second in the name of His Son YAHSHUA, and third in the name KADESH, group name for the Heaven�s angels.
L.D. Snow reports that Briggs and Penn were the first to pronounce and use the name Yahshua. Later William Bishop and S.L. Cessna used it.
- http://www.giveshare.org/churchhistory/sacrednamehistory.html
Claim one Continued: C.O. Dodd vs. Herbert W. Armstrong
source: biblicaljesus.org
The following exerpt is by Herbert W. Armstrong. Thats right. A Judaizer speaks of a disagreement with a sacred namer below.
Now we are getting into history I personally remember. Mr. Dodd, now leaving the Salem group as he had the Stanberry organization, was rebaptized in Michigan in the name of "Yahshua" by Elder Earl Bigford in 1941. His "Faith Bible and Tract Society" had been publishing The Faith magazine, beginning March 1937.
I received The Faith somewhat regularly and remember the articles by Mr. Traina on speaking or writing the names of God or of Christ only in the Hebrew language—which they, of course, termed the "sacred names."
Mr. Dodd and I discussed this new doctrine on the telephone.
THE DISCUSSION
I said to him, as nearly as I can now recall the words: "Elder Dodd, you know, as all the evidence proves, that the New Testament was originally written in the Greek language. It was inspired by the living Word of God, JESUS Christ, through the Holy Spirit. And by inspiration of the Holy Spirit the names of Jesus and of God, as well as the titles, were INSPIRED to be written in the GREEK language—not Hebrew.
"And FURTHER, much of the New Testament contains quotations or citations from the Old Testament, and wherever those Old Testament passages contained the names or titles of God, the HOLY SPIRIT inspired them to be written into the New Testament in the GREEK language. I cannot change or pervert what was INSPIRED through the Holy Spirit—can YOU?"
For a moment Elder Dodd seemed confused
After some hesitation, he said, "Well then, I think the New Testament must have been originally inspired and written in the HEBREW language, and the Greek copies of the New Testament must be uninspired and erroneous translations."
I said, "Elder Dodd, do you realize what you are saying? All authorities know that the ONLY copies of the original writings that have been preserved are in GREEK- absolutely NONE in Hebrew. You are saying, as an argument and with absolutely NO authority, that there are NO COPIES of the inspired original writings of the New Testament, and that the ONLY copies are in error. And if they are in error wherever the names of Jesus or of God are mentioned, how do we know that they are not in error in many other places? Then we have NO SURE Word of God for the New Testament Scriptures—only uninspired translations."
"But maybe the translations into Greek were inspired," he suggested.
"If that had happened," I said, "then the Holy Spirit inspired the translations that write the names of God and of Jesus in GREEK, not Hebrew."
I said, "Elder Dodd, do you realize what you are saying? All authorities know that the ONLY copies of the original writings that have been preserved are in GREEK- absolutely NONE in Hebrew. You are saying, as an argument and with absolutely NO authority, that there are NO COPIES of the inspired original writings of the New Testament, and that the ONLY copies are in error. And if they are in error wherever the names of Jesus or of God are mentioned, how do we know that they are not in error in many other places? Then we have NO SURE Word of God for the New Testament Scriptures—only uninspired translations."
"But maybe the translations into Greek were inspired," he suggested.
Elder Dodd was now really confused. He had no real answer. But he continued in this false teaching, regardless, so far as I know.
If those sincere (though deceived) people who insist we must speak the Hebrew language when we come to the names of God or of Christ, try to establish that the New Testament was originally inspired and written in the Hebrew language, then:
1) the burden of proof is on them—AND THERE IS NONE!
2) we are left with ONLY faulty, erroneous writings for the New Testament. But God has said, "... the truth of the Eternal endureth for ever" (Ps. 117:2) and, "... his truth endureth to all generations" (Ps. 100:5). "But the word of the Lord endureth for ever" (I Peter 1:25). And Jesus Christ said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away" (Mark 13:31).
Division and Confusion
So far as my personal experience and contact with this Hebrew names movement went, that telephone conversation with Elder Dodd ended it.
- http://www.biblicaljesus.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/HWA/k/1669/Plain-Truth-About-Sacred-Name.htm
Source 3: Quotes Sacred Namers have used from earliest to latest
Black Hebrew Israelites and The Hebrew Roots Cult were not the first to declare a complaint against the english name of Jesus. The Sacred Name Movement originated this complaint. Other sources older than the cults above have been pulled by the later hebrew roots movement. Please bear this in mind.
"The name Joshua (or Jehoshua) derives its greatest importance and highest sanctity from the fact that it was sacredly chosen as the name to be borne by the Messiah.."
--Personal Names in the Bible by Dr. W.F. Wilkinson, M.A. Joint Editor of Webster[born 1811] and Wilkinson's[born 1841] Greek Testament: pages 342-343.
"This new church adopted various deities
from the heathen, and discarded the Most
High (Jehovah) of the Israelite Scriptures,
and they also discarded His blessed Son,
Jahshuwah."
-Story of the Christian church,
-Hurlbut p 43. - born 1843
"It has been all along well enough known
that the Greeks occasionally worshipped the
supreme deity under the title of
"Zeus the Saviour. . ."
- The Two Babylons - 1858
Dr. Alexander Hislop
"It is interesting to note - that throughout
his life - Christ never did hear himself
being called by that name - "Jesus"...."
- "Man’s Great Adventure,"
by Edwin W. Pahlow, professor of history,
Ohio State University. - Born 1878
"It is simply amazing to think that all
these years, hundreds of years, mankind
has been calling the Saviour by the wrong name!!
It's hard to give up the name of Jesus
because it's so deeply ingrained in us
and much has been said and done in that name."
-Gospel of The Kingdom
True Names and Title
Dr. Henry Clifford Kinley Born 1895
-written in 1931 - Ohio USA
"In the 1611 KJ New Testament
the name Yahshua (Yehoshua) appeared
originally wherever the Messiah was
spoken of. Yehoshua means Yehovah's
(Jehovah's) Salvation. Later the
Messiah's name was replaced with Iesus
(Greek) which later in the 1600's it
became Jesus starting with the new
English letter "J" which was introduced
at that time. Further, the Greek "Iesus"
comes from the name Zeus, the ruling God
in the Greek pantheon."
-Gospel of The Kingdom
True Names and Title
Dr. Henry Clifford Kinley Born 1895
-written in 1931 - Ohio USA
"Originally, the name of the Messiahwas , pronounced Yahushuaor (Yehoshua). This is the Messiah's original name. ...the Messiah's name is actually the same name as Joshua,Son of Nun... correctly pronounced "Yahushua". It is quite evident that the modern form "Jesus" doesn't even remotely resemble the original name that the disciples used.. This is a fact. ""Jesus Christ....Matthew (1:21) interprets the name originally as Jehoshua, that is,'Jehovah is Salvation,'"
-Encyclopedia Americana 1918-1920 (Vol.16, p. 41) - [this page is missing so far in my research]
"The only Savior in the Scripture
is Jahshuwah, the Son of Jahwah (Jehovah).
He came in His Father's Name and by that we
must adore Him. Away with the pagan name
Iesous. Away with his heathen name Jesus,
and instead exalt the Savior, Jahshuwah,
the Son of Jahwah (Jehovah), by His own name."
- The Origin of Christianity
by A.B. Traina - active 1933
"They (the Graeco-Roman World) had
worshipped Zeus as the supreme deity.
Their savior was Zeus, so now they
were ready to accept Jehoshua as Jesus
- Iesous, meaning - hail Zeus. Now our
translated scriptures say that Jahwah's
(Jehovah's)Son's name is Jesus, which is
a compound word made up of Ie and Zeus
(Hail Zeus)."
-The Origin of Christianity
by A.B. Traina - active 1933
"This name of the true Messiah,
Jahshuwah (Jehoshua), being Hebrew,
was objectionable to the Greeks and
Romans, who hated the Judeans (Jews),
and so it was deleted from the records,
and a new name inserted. Jahshuwah
(Jehoshua) was thus replaced by Ie-Sous
(hail Zeus), now known to us as Jesus."
-The Origin of Christianity
by A.B. Traina - active 1933
"The pagans of Greece and Rome had worshipped
Zeus as the supreme deity. Their savior was Zeus,
so now they were eager to accept Jesus as Iesous,
or Zeus as their saviour."
- The Origin of Christianity
by A.B. Traina - active 1933
"Our translated scripture says that
Jahwah's Son's name is Jesus, a compound
word of Ie and Zeus. The messiah's true
name - Jahshuwah - was replaced by
Ie-Sous (praise or hail Zeus), now known
to us as Jesus."
- The Origin of Christianity
by A.B. Traina - active 1933
"The Hebrews called their coming Savior,
the Messiah, Jahshuawah. The disciples of
the Savior accepted Him as such, and to them
He was also known as Jahshuwah the Messiah.
The Greeks, however, rejected the Hebrew name,
and called Him (IESOUS-Jesus) instead."
- The Origin of Christianity
by A.B. Traina - active 1933
"The plan of the Greeks was simple,
they merely dropped the Hebrew terminology
of names which referred to the Hebrew deity,
and substituted the name, or letters, referring
to the name of the supreme deity, Zeus."
-The Faith Magazine - began in 1930s
Volume 69
"The only Savior in the Scripture is Jahshuwah,
(or Jehoshua) - the Son of Jahwah (Jehovah).
He came in His Father's Name and by that we
must adore Him. Away with the pagan name
Iesous. Away with his heathen name Jesus,
and instead exalt the Savior, Jahshuwah (Jehoshua)
- the Son of Jahwah (Jehovah), by His own name."
- The Origin of Christianity
by A.B. Traina - active 1933
"research reveals that the name "Jesus"
is linked to the Greek Sun-god "Zeus" "
-COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE,
by C. J. Koster - born 1941
"the name of Christ in the New Testament
means “Jehovah is salvation.” This comes
from the same Hebrew word translated Joshua
or Jehoshua in the Old Testament. It also
means “Jehovah is salvation.” This means
that the name of Jesus should have been
translated into English as “Joshua (or Jehoshua)” "
-Jesus and Joshua Had the Same Hebrew Name *
The Name Of Jesus;
By Paul Rusnak - unknown date
"The name Joshua (or Jehoshua) derives
its greatest importance and highest sanctity
from the fact that it was sacredly chosen
as the name to be borne by the Messiah.."
--Personal Names in the Bible
by Dr. W.F. Wilkinson, M.A. - unknown date
"The name Jesus is NOT a derivative
of YHWH (Jehovah). There is great cause
for alarm when this hybrid Greek name
is being plied onto Messiah because
not only is it NOT the sanctified given name
of Yeshua (Jehoshua) but prophetic and
sanctified unity within the Word of YHWH is lost!
Early Christo-Pagans syncretized Greek culture
into Greek Christianity, which "smoothed" the
way for Christo-Paganism to become the
"state" religion."
-Is the name "Jesus" holy?
-Baruch Ben Daniel born 1960
"It is known that the Greek name endings
with sus, seus, and sous which are phonetic
pronunciations for the chief Greek god of
Olympus - were attached by the Greeks
to names and geographical areas
as means to give honour to their
supreme deity, Zeus."
-Dictionary of Christian Lore and Legend
by Professor J.C.J Melfurd (1983, pg 126)
"Christ name....In the Septuagint it was the common Hebrew name Joshua (or Jehoshua)."-Encyclopedia Britannica -15th Edition(Vol. 10 p.149) 1991
"Some authorities, who have spent their entire lives studying the origins of names believe that "Jesus" actually means -"Hail Zeus!"For Iesous in Greek IS "Hail Zeus.""Ie" translates as "Hail" and "sous"or "sus" translates as Zeus. The English name "Jesus", therefore, stems etymologically from "Jupiter-Zeus" the chief god of the ancient Greek Olympus."
- "Yeshua" or "Jesus" --Which? - written in 1996
- Rebbe Les Aron Gosling
- http://biblicalresearchinstitute.com/OldSite/lectures/lec1.htm
"‘Jesus’ is a transliteration of a Latin
name Ioesus, pronounced heysus -
which means nothing in Hebrew,
but in Latin it means ‘Hail Zeus’.
If Yahshua’s name had been
transliterated into our language,
it would have been closer to Joshua
(or Jehoshua).."
-Winds of Praise Broadcasting
Believer or Follower?
The Sound of the Shofar
By Jon Thompson - 21st century
"Jesus. That was a name given to him
by the early church many years after
His death. They wanted to remove any
Jewishness from the new church.
They eliminated His Jewish name and
blended the name of Zeus into the
Christian church to make it comfortable
for all those who previously worshipped
the Greek and Roman gods. It made it
easier for the pagans to become Christians.
Since Zeus was the top god of their experience,
attaching the name Ioesus to Yahshua gave
Him top priority in the worship hierarchy."
-Winds of Praise Broadcasting
Believer or Follower?
The Sound of the Shofar
By Jon Thompson - 21st century
The "Jesus is Pagan" complaint has just been proven to have very old roots that precede the hebrew cults themselves. Imagine where many other cult complaints trace back to.
"Paul ruined christianity"
"You quote Paul more than Jesus"
"The word "God" is a germanic pagan title"
Since it has been demonstrated that the complaints of the Black hebrew israelites and hebrew rooters are not original, then one must ask are they biblical. In other words, does Jesus and the apostles complain about such things? This will be covered in the next blogpost.
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